Lake Tahoe Elopement at Sand Harbor

BIIIIGGGGG Lake Tahoe fans over here! It’s gorgeous. The California side, the Nevada side, you can’t go wrong anywhere around the lake.  Lake Tahoe is a truly unique wedding destination where the fresh mountainous air meets a sandy beach (or rocky if that’s your vibe!), and the sunrises and sunsets are unparalleled. There’s no bad time for a Lake Tahoe elopement at Sand Harbor! We love this area, especially for the hikes and adventure opportunities – almost everything is easy to access! 

lake tahoe elopement at sand harbor

Case and point – Betsy and Andy envisioned a Monkey Rock elopement. The 2.6-mile out-and-back trail is near Incline Village-Crystal Bay, Nevada. It is generally considered a moderately challenging route and takes an average of 1 h 16 min to complete. It’s one of our favorite spots for a Lake Tahoe hiking elopement.

But, the world had some other super special plans for our couple! Plan B(aby) took center stage! Opting to forgo their individual rooms original plans, they choose to have a romantic Sand Harbor elopement at Lake Tahoe with a beach ceremony. There were a few factors that had to be included. Such as their first baby- a Bernese mountain dog named Wallace. Our buddy Wally HAD to make it for the big day. Sand Harbor only allows dogs from mid-October to mid-April and only on a leash, so for our couple and Wally this was the best time of year to elope in Lake Tahoe.

PSA: here are some tips for including dogs at your elopement!

Another consideration is that Sand Harbor has a $400.00 fee for a day’s use of the Ramada Group Area in addition to a $10 daily vehicle entrance fee for each vehicle upon entry to the Park. The reservation is for the covered area (Ramada) and group parking lot only.

dog friendly elopement

Any ancillary events (like a kick ass Sand Harbor elopement at Lake Tahoe!) may be held on the small pocket beach immediately adjacent to the Ramada only. Beach space is first-come, first-serve, and the availability of this beach is not guaranteed. Long story short – we would have slept on that damn beach to make sure Betsy, Andy, Wallace, and baby bump got their ceremony!

The ceremony is absolutely beautiful. The mountains behind them with the teal turquoise green blue waters of Lake Tahoe are just SHOWING UP today! The mountains have snow capped on them, it is sunny, it’s just absolutely fuckin beautiful. There are nine family members with them and Wallace. 

After they ‘do’, we choose a beautiful little lookout for them to have a gender reveal together. They sit in the lookout, really soaking in and they open the card….. and it’s a baby girl! It is so sweet and we are beyond thrilled for them! We wander around, we adventure, we take some beautiful pictures with the mounds in the back. I put up the drone because your girl likes the drone! With the drone we capture some really beautiful views of the Vista itself and we got the view of the entire lake behind them. Betsy and Andy have a sweet first dance! Then we head back to the snowy Sand Harbor sands and obviously pop champagne for the new baby girl!

It was the most special Sand Harbor elopement at Lake Tahoe. We are so lucky to have been there for Andy and Betsy’s double big day! If you’re wondering where can I elope in Lake Tahoe? See our blog Lake Tahoe elopement where we’ve scouted out several unique spots. When you are ready to book your elopement, we’d love to hear about how we can bring your love story to life. You know about us, contact us so we can learn about you! Can’t wait to be besties.